Bioluminescent copepods are often the most abundant marine zooplankton and play critical roles in oceanic food webs. Metridia copepods exhibit particularly bright bioluminescence, and the molecular basis of their light production has just recently begun

Analysis of the fragment of the mtDNA gene СО1 has revealed two genetically distinct groups of the Metridia lucens complex in the South part of the Atlantic. While the intragroup polymorphism was less than 1%, the intergroup difference was about 9.5%.

Analysis of the fragment of the mtDNA gene СО1 has revealed two genetically distinct groups of the Metridia lucens complex in the South part of the Atlantic. While the intragroup polymorphism was less than 1%, the intergroup difference was about 9.5%.